Riveting-machine



G. A. E. JONES.

RIVETING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

GEORGE ALEXANDER ENDREWS JONES, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RIVETING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application filed November 10, 1919. Serial No. 336,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. E. JONES, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New London, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Riveting-Machines, of which the following desc-riptlon, in connection with the accom anying drawings, is a specification, like re erence characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a riveting machine and consists mainl in the combination with the rivet heading appliances, of electrodes located and operated in such relation to the heading appliances as to effect the proper heating of the rivets for the heading operation while the heading operation is going on.

The invention is shown as embodied in a riveting machine ,of the kind commonly known as a gap and bull machine, which is composed mainly of a U-shaped frame between the arms or branches of which the material to be riveted can be accommodated, and suitable dies atthe ends of the arms and means for operating the same to compress and upset or head the rivet placed between. them.

In accordance with the present invention the machine is provided with suitable elec trodes which are supported upon the frame in proper relation to the heading dies to act upon one or more rivets place in rivet holes adjacentto the rivet in position to be acted upon by the heading dies, and connecting mechanism preferably is provided by which in the operation of moving the heading die to head a rivet the electrodes are brought into contact with another rivet or rivets near the one being headed so as to heat the same preparatory to being headed at a subsequent operation, of the heading dies.

Figure 1, is a plan view of a riveting machine provided with electric heating appliances in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof partly in section, and

Fig. 3 an elevation on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2.

The machine comprises a U-shaped frame at the ends of the arms 2, 3, of which are supported the heading dies 4:, 5, best shown in Fig. 1, of which the dle 4 1s fixed 1n the end of the arm and constitutes the anvil,

while the die 5 is movable toward and from the die 4, being actuated in its forward movement by mechanism shown as comprising a piston in a cylinder 6, the connecting rod 7 of which operates a cam lever 8- by which the die 5 may be forcibl moved toward the die 4 to upset or hea the end of rivet lying between said dies as shown in i 1. The cylinder 6 may be supplied with steam or compressed air for actuating the movable heading die and the portions of the machine thus far described may be of any suitable or usual construction.

In order to provide for the heating of the rivets while the plates or parts to be united thereby are in the machine, and while the heading operation is going on the machine is provided in accordance with this invention with suitable electrodes or conductors shown in this instance as comprising the electrodes 12, 13, mounted upon 'but insulated from a bracket 15 and connected respectively by conductors 16, 17 with terminals of a suitable transformer 18, the primary coil of which may be supplied with electricity from any suitable source.

The electrodes 12, 13 are so located with. reference to the heading die or anvil 4 andwith respect to the character of the Work in hand that they will engage with heads of to be headed between the heading dies, and

when two electrodes 12, 13 are employed at the same side of the work, or plates being riveted, a suitable conducting piece -or bridge 14 will be employed at the other side located in proper position toengage with the points or unheaded ends of the rivets, the heads of which are engaged by the electrodes 12, 13.

In order to provide for the electric heating operation while the heading is going on, the conductor 14, which is mounted on the branch 3 of the main frame in proximity to the movable headin die 5, is itself movable toward and from tie cooperating conductors 12, 13, being shown as mounted upon a slide 20, which is engaged by one arm of lever 21, the other arm of which is provided witha sleeve 22 surrounding a rod 23 connected with the piston rod 7 by which the movable heading'die 5 is operated.

By this mechanism when the piston is operated to move the heading die to head a the connection between the conductor 14 actuating lever 21'and the rod 23 is yielding, being shown as comprising a spring 24 interposed between a shoulder or collar 25 on the rod 23 and the sleeve 22.

Thus when the piston is actuated to move the piston-rod 7 and force the heading-die 5 against a rivet, the spring connection causes the conductor 14 to be moved into contact with the rivets, and as the heading die continues its movement, the spring 24: will yield, but will cause the electric contact to be maintained with increasing pres sure, while the heading operation is being performed by the heading dies 4, 5. It is not essential that two rivets should be included in series in the heating circuit since if it was desired to heat only one rivet at a time the current'might pass from an electrode at one side, through the rivet, to an electrode at the other side, but it is found that by heating the two rivets in series as shown, it is possible to obtain sufficient heat in about thetime normally required for the heading operation of the heading dies.

As shown in Fig. l, the spacing of the rivet holes and rivets is such that the rivets between the electrodes are at the second and third spaces from the rivet between the heading dies, and in the continued operation of the machine, when the heading dies are operated to head a rivet, the second and third rivets from the one operated upon are betw'een the electrodes and are being heated, while the single rivet which lies between the heading dies and electrodes has already been heated during two preceding heading operations, and will retain its heat sufficiently until the work is moved for the next operation.

Thus during one heading operation the third rivet from the one being operated upon is receiving its first or preliminary heat from the passage of electricity therethrough,

while the second rivet from the one being operated upon is receiving a second or final heat, and so on while the riveting operation is going on, the rivets being heated and headed consecutively, and the plates or work being shifted from one rivet to the next in the interval in which the heading dies are moved apart after one heading operation has been completed.

In the greater part of the work that is done by machines of this kind the time normally consumed in the operation of the heading dies is suflicient for the proper heating of the rivets by the electric appliances shown, and 'by reason of the connection between the actuating mechanism for the heading dies and that for the movable electric contact the heatin is performed automatically, or without a ditional manipulation by the operator to what is required for the heading alone.

In some cases, however, it may be desirable to have the electric contact 0 rated independently of the time of action of the heading dies, and in Fig. 2, there is shown in dotted lines at 28 a handle by which the tively great resistance receive the principal heating efl'ect.

What I claim is:

1. A riveting machine comprising a frame and an anvil and movable heading die mounted thereon, and means for actuating the heading die, combined with an electric contact mounted on said frame near the anvil and a movable electric contact mounted on said frame near the movable heading die, whereby a rivet may be heated between the electric contacts while another rivet is being headed by the dies.

2. The combination with the frame heading dies and actuating mechanism therefor of a riveting machine, of a pair of electrodes mounted on the frame adjacent to one of the heading dies, and an electric contact mounted on the frame adjacent to the other of the heading dies whereby two rivets in series in the electric circuit may be heated preparatory to the action of the heading diesthereon.

3. Ariveting machine comprising an anvil and movable heading die and means for actuating the latter, combined with an electric contact or electrode near the anvil, and a movablev contact correspondingly located near the movable heading die, and connectionsfrom said movable contact to the actuating mechanism for the heading die, substantially as and for the purpose described. In testimony whereof, I' have signed my name to this specification. v

GEORGE ALEXANDER ENDREWS JONES. 

